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Kings Park
Kings Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town Smithtown,Suffolk County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population was 17,282 as of the 2010 census. It borders Nissequogue to its east across the river, with Fort Salonga to its west, Commack to its southwest and Smithtown to its east. Kings Park is noted for its schools, numerous parks, and natural beauty. Its tranquility prompted it to be the site of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center instead of New York City. Bands and artists from Kings Park include : Dream Theater , The Microwave Orphans , The Dahmer Project , Lunchbox , Hektik , Urban Teepee , Confuzed , Caroline's Pneumatic Drapery , Janeless , Element , Pee-Soup , Gonorrhea , Abraxas , Stonehenge AD , Blackout , Rage From Within , Ultra High Frequency , The Classholes , Joanne Amante , Julio Soler , Pyro Playground , Matthew Tully /Jameson , Reality Retreat, Richard Mangogna , Devoted Entertainment , KR Peace of Mind , Young Lions, Ian Smith , Dissent , Magic Syrup Reaction , The Sighed Projects , Abominable Snowman In The Market , Gortobott Destruction Unit , Matt Roren Karaoke Experience , Crapapella , Big River Ransom , Vinsane , DA VINCI , and more. Geography Kings Park is located at 40°53′19″N 73°14′33″W (40.888497, −73.242582)[1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (6.21%) is water. Kings Park Psychiatric Center The Kings Park Psychiatric Center was built by Kings County (before becoming part of New York City) in 1885 after Dr. Oliver Dewing's successful campaign to develop a hospital for the mentally ill on an 870-acre (3.5 km2) plot of land. The hospital was originally called Kings County Farm, a care center for the poor and mentally ill operated by Brooklyn officials. Kings County Farm is the origin of the name Kings Park. In 1954 the Center's patient population peaked at 9,303. The Center was a key source of employment for the area during this time period, and was perhaps the most important factor in the hamlet's development. Increasing costs to run hospital facilities and changing views about integrating the mentally ill into the population at large led to large-scale movement of patient population back into society. As patient totals declined, so did employment at the center. The decrease in state employment caused a demographics shift, as an increasing percentage of the population became employed in New York City. There are numerous studies tying this deinstitutionalization of mentally ill patients to increased homelessness and crime in New York City in the 1970s. In 1996, the KPPC property closed. The remaining patients were transferred to Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. The waterfront portion of the former hospital was reopened as the Nissequogue River State Park in 2000. Also, the rail spur was converted to a bike path in 2003. The State of New York has abandoned a deal to sell the property to Cherokee Northeast/Arker Companies for remediation and future redevelopment. The plans have been opposed vehemently by many townspeople, most notably the Kings Park Coalition Against High Density Housing, and has become an important political issue in many local political campaigns. Other development options for the property have included a Long Island Railroad service facility as well as a college campus. Claims to fame Kings Park is the hometown of Houston Astros catcher/second baseman/outfielder Craig Biggio. Biggio has been named one of the 5 greatest second baseman of all time by renowned baseball statistician Bill James. He is also the modern-era record-holder for HBPs with 273, and the only player in history to be named an All-Star at both the catcher and second baseman positions.[citation needed] Kings Park is also the hometown of Walter Henning. Henning won the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He threw the 6kg (13.2lb) Hammer Throw 252'4" to become the first American to win an international championship in the Hammer Throw since 1956 when Hal Connolly won the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. Henning also won the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Championships in the 16 lb (7.3 kg) Hammer throw and 35 lb (16 kg) Weight Throw for Louisiana State University. As a student at St. Anthony's High School (New York)he won seven high school national championships in the Shot Put, hammer throw and weight throw. In addition, Henning is currently the New York State record holder in the weight throw, hammer throw and shot put. His hammer throw and weight throw records were National High School records at the time. Henning is currently the World Junior (U-20) Record holder in the 35 lb (16 kg) Weight Throw. Henning's mother, the former Marybeth McGuire, was a member of the Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps that won the American Legion and VFW National Championships in 1979 as listed below. Kings Park is also the hometown of John Petrucci, John Myung, and Kevin Moore, founding members of influential progressive metal band Dream Theater. Kings Park was home to the Long Island Kingsmen Drum and Bugle Corps from 1965–1984. The Kingsmen were the American Legion National Champions in 1978 and 1979 and the VFW National Champions in 1979. The corps also placed 21st in 1979 and 16th in 1980 at the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships. Kings Park is the hometown of former NHL defenseman Jim Pavese. Other landmarks Sunken Meadow State Park borders Long Island Sound and is accessible by the Sunken Meadow State Parkway. It is a part of the New York State Parks system. In addition to the water, the park boasts 6 miles (9.7 km) of public trails and 27 holes of golf. The park's facilities make it ideally suited for many activities, among them various distance running competitions. The infamous "Cardiac Hill" is well known by local runners. The Nissequogue River, 6 miles (9.7 km) in length, empties into Long Island Sound and is readily accessible for all manner of water activities. The scenic river snakes through the recently christened Nissequogue River State Park. Demographics The Census Information is Currently Being Updated. Some information is quoted from the 2010 enumeration, however, other information may be outdated. Please check with www.census.gov (link located at the bottom of the page) for the most updated information. Census disclaimer valid as of 11/16/2011. As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 17,282 people and 6,469 households residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,787.9 per square mile (1,058.4/km²). There were 6,469 housing units at an average density of 946.1/sq mi (365.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.1% White, 1.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.4% Asian, N/A% Pacific Islander, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population. There were 6,469 households in 2010, of which 5.0% had persons under the age of 5 years, 23.3% with persons under 18 years, and 17.2% with persons over 65 years of age. The average number of persons per household was 3.00. The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,819, and the median income for a family was $80,952. Males had a median income of $53,125 versus $36,008 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $34,846. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population and 2.6% were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older. Notable residents *Marilyn Fierro, martial artist *Bobby Goepfert (born 1983), professional ice hockey goaltender *John Petrucci (born 1967), guitarist and songwriter